EVOLUTION OF APPROACHES TO ENSURING ACCESS TO PUBLIC INFORMATION IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION THEORY

Abstract

Introduction. The development of public administration theory under conditions of democratization and digital transformation is accompanied by a substantial rethinking of the role of access to public information as a fundamental instrument for ensuring transparency, accountability, and trust in public authorities. The evolution of approaches to access to information reflects a shift from a closed bureaucratic model of governance to open, digitally oriented, and human-centered systems of public administration. At the same time, contemporary transformational processes driven by digital innovations and security risks are shaping new requirements for the regulation of information flows and the mechanisms of their public access.

Purpose. The aim of the study is to systematize the evolutionary changes in approaches to access to public information and to substantiate its contemporary understanding as a multidimensional instrument of public administration that integrates legal, institutional, digital, and social components.

Materials and methods. The methodological basis of the study is a combination of systemic, comparative, retrospective, and content analysis methods. Scientific works of Ukrainian and foreign researchers, legal and regulatory acts in the field of access to public information, open data, and digital governance, as well as analytical materials of international organizations, were used. This made it possible to identify the key stages of transformation in approaches to governmental openness and their institutional consolidation.

Results. It has been established that the evolution of approaches to access to public information occurred in four interrelated stages: the administrative-legal stage (formalization of the right to access), the good governance stage (institutionalization of transparency), the digital transformation stage (implementation of open data and e-services), and the value-oriented stage (formation of public value and trust). A conceptual framework for multi-level provision of access to public information has been substantiated, encompassing normative, organizational, technological, and social levels. It is demonstrated that the effectiveness of access to information depends not only on legal guarantees but also on the quality of digital infrastructure, institutional capacity, and the level of public trust. It is revealed that excessive or unstructured openness may reduce the effectiveness of communication between government and citizens.

Conclusions and discussion. Further research should focus on developing integrated models for ensuring access to public information under conditions of digital inequality, cyber threats, and wartime challenges, as well as on strengthening the role of open data in shaping public value and trust in governmental institutions.